MAJOR J. A. COOKE HURLE 285 



Such was the success of Major Cooke Hurle's first 

 season, that the committee had no hesitation in 

 acceding to his reasonable demand for a guarantee 

 of £350, in addition to kennel rent and usual field 

 expenses amounting to some £250 more, as a 

 term of his continuance in office. It is true that 

 the master had, perhaps, less reason to be satisfied 

 with the country than the hunt had cause to be 

 pleased with him. For he was naturally inclined to 

 measure things by the standard he was used to in the 

 New Forest, where funds and foxes are plentiful, 

 whereas the South Devon Hunt is content to make 

 the most it can of a small supply of either commodity, 

 and to remain undismayed by a record of eleven 

 blank days in a season. One cause of regret there 

 was, common both to master and hunt, in the loss, 

 at the end of the season 1913-14, of the company and 

 the services of the honorary secretary. Major Cobham, 

 whose appointment under Government in connection 

 with the supply of Army horses, coupled with the 

 educational needs of his family, necessitated his 

 moving to a larger centre. He was an admirable 

 secretary, and it was impossible to find anyone at the 

 moment to take his place. With this exception, all 

 looked promising and well for the coming season, and 

 none dreamt of the appalling catastrophe that was 

 about to fall upon the world. 



So often in years past have we watched the near 

 approach of war-clouds upon the political horizon 

 only to see them dissipated by the sunshine of 

 arbitration and diplomacy, that no very especial 

 interest attached to the reappearance of the familiar 

 phenomenon in the summer of 1914. But, as the 

 weeks passed, this particular cloud became bigger 

 and blacker, and, almost before we could realize the 



